I'm Derrick Alvarez. Insurance professional by day, developer by night.
I've loved making things and being creative for as long as I could remember. I was born & raised in Puerto Rico where I was exposed to a variety of musical instruments and singing. I learned how to play the Recorder and the Cuatro in school and was a the lead singer for the school's chorus (how I wish I could still sing lol).
When I was around 7 years old, I was exposed to a computer for the first time and I was completely amazed by it (more than video games!). I remember spending countless hours building random 3D animations and mini-movies on my friend's Compaq Presario running Windows 95.
By the age of 12, I taught myself how to write HTML, CSS & some PHP and built my own, full-stack, Dragonball-Z-inspired website, with a blog-like newsfeed where I would update my visitors on new developements for the franchise. I also hosted my own Dragonball Z forum as a way to start a small fan community. I spent countless summers just learning everything from programming to graphic design & music production.
I took a break from all the creativeness once I became an adult and began my insurance journey. In my insurance career I've worked at almost all capacities. From a Customer service representative, to leading full underwriting teams, to claims management.
Today, I help companies integrate the latest technologies through my company, Cryptid Labs, where we develop solutions that empower creatives and businesses make their digital footprint in this ever-changing digital world.